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Original message:496 days 16 hours 10 minutes ago
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Member: phucher
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So guys, where do you normally find inspiration for writing music??? whether it is books, or other types of music, or what happens on that day, or whether someone stirrs you the wrong way, im just curious to hear where people get ideas to write music
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Reply:496 days 15 hours 42 minutes ago
Member: JTC
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Usually, I will get the initial idea for new lyrics by accident as I discuss things with associates and friends. Typically it's those heated discussions where you feel strongly about a subject and you cant seem to get another person to see things your way. Thus, lyrics for such things seem to come easily as you think of all the things that you might have said to communicate your feelings or standing on an issue. For the music part, particularly the guitar, I just play and record often and try to be spontanious. As I make up riffs and stuff that I think sound good I save recordings of them. Later, when I write lyrics, I'll dig through the sample recordings looking for something that portrays the same feeling for the lyrics. I'm not an expert song writer or anything but for me this seems to be the natural way of my inspirations.

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Dreaming of a New Cloud
Nebulous Void
Reply:496 days 14 hours 37 minutes ago
Member: goodbyeboy
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I have few ways to write songs but all the best song i've ever written IMO came from my dreams.

well, i guess not exactly dreams. but when I'm ABOUT to fall asleep, eyes cloised, hearing nothing but a silence. when i'm falling a sleep i hear this killer melody, or even a whole song just comes to my brain and stays there for a while. this happens to me occasionally but when it first happened to me i didn't care and i just slept - but then next morning it was all gone. i couldn't remember a thing.

so nowadays i always wake my ass up and play/record what was in my head so i won't forget. or at least i have my pen and paper right next to my bed so i can at least write chord progressions which will make me remember those melodies.

so if it happens to you.........wake up and record.
Where words fail, music speaks.
Reply:496 days 8 hours 18 minutes ago
Member: Captain Fantastic
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I used to create chord progressions first...trying to voice a melody by changing the inversions of chords, but everything just sounded too lush. Then I began to gradually let my mind go over time and just feel rhythms over the course of the day. From the rhythms running through my head a melody would come. Harmonizing a melody is an amazing process because there are so many chordal possibilities. Other times I would start with prose with no conception about melody or rhythm and make my focus the story. There are so any different angles to take. Depending on your frame of mind different things may work better.
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I enjoy skinny skiing, heckling figure skaters, flamenco guitar, the blue stuff you put your combs in, good drummers, focaccia bread and coffee out of a french press
Reply:495 days 16 hours 54 minutes ago
Member: Kevin
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well, the most important thing for me is not to force it, one of 2 things happens, I rush and force out stupid shit, or I just get frustrated. Usually it comes from a riff that I stumble on accidentally in practice or something, just fuckin around. Then I record it, find some shit then works with it and come up with a basic arrangement (ie songflow, which riff is which, ect.) Then it usually sits for weeks and weeks before I put any lyrics to it. Lyrics are hard for me, usually my best stuff just comes to me out of thin air when I'm in the mood. I read a lot anyways, so I don't read or anything for lyrics. I just get a line in my head, find someway that it fits with the riff and build the lyric sheet from there. It's kind of a pain in the ass because for it to work I have to carry a notebook everywhere, but its the only way I come up with shit.
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Reply:493 days 5 hours 59 minutes ago
Member: Mike Philippov
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Some of my best work is usually inspired by a story or a personal experience. Then I try to express the emotions and feelings that I got from that, in my music.

For example one of the songs that I recently recorded (called "Pensive") was directly inspired by an AWESOME book that I read. The story combined with some other things not relating to the inspired me to write this... Check it out here: www.myspace.com/grimthesweeper

Mike Philippov
www.mikephilippov.com
www.thenextstepguitar.com
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Reply:493 days 4 hours 26 minutes ago
Member: G_Barber
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Just about all of my riffs just pop into my head uninvited. Lyrics, on the other hand, come from either personal experience or subjects I'm interested in, like the Vietnam war, or drinking beer for example. I rarely ever sit down and write a complete song with music and lyrics, at the same time. For some reason I can't work that way.
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Reply:492 days 15 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: peck
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Musical ideas always pop up when I'm playing for enjoyment. I work an idea until I feel satisfied, then move on. Stopping to write the idea down interrupts the creative flow, so I try to turn on the recorder before I pick up the guitar.

I am blessed with a talent for music; not so for lyrics. However, I recently discovered an effective method for writing accompaniments, as well as an effective method for writing lyrics. I am reluctant to disclose them here, for they may be valuable trade secrets: I've yet to see either method mentioned on any of the songwriting forums I've visited.
There are clues to the accompaniment method in several biographies about a particular artist we are all familiar with, and the lyric method is very similar to a certain problem-solving technique. Both methods are deceptively simple: virtually anyone could discover them.

It also helps to know when to quit.
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Reply:492 days 14 hours 52 minutes ago
Member: Def
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Pretty much everything you mentioned. Movies, the news, and my experiences are the big three
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Reply:492 days 12 hours 25 minutes ago
Member: Kenny Baccus
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56
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I get inspired to write when I hear some kind of eye opening guitar riff or song. And I end up thinking about the riff or song and I end up adding things of my own, untill it becomes something unique. Basicly, I end up liking a song or something, think about it, then everything comes naturally.
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Reply:488 days 6 hours 23 minutes ago
Member: Damarae
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dude i start writing songs when im pissed off and i cant stop being pissed, its a way to express your feelings, and most of the time when you write about what your pissed about, its glorious, and it helps you relax
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Reply:435 days 21 hours 21 minutes ago
Member: Christian
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66
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To me, the riffs just come from me goofing off and stuff, but lyrics are completely different..... My inspiration is just whatever at the time... mostly listening to some killer guitar stuff.
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Reply:435 days 8 hours 34 minutes ago
Member: Savva_Rhythm
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417
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Well i may be young, but i still know my music. I'm also into song writing. for inspiration, i listen to Pink Floyd, Muse and Iron Maiden. allot of their music is based on really meaningful experiences. thats what i do for the lyric side of creation, as for the guitar side, again i use other music. i would start playing a certain song, then depending on my mood, i would change from that song, to any other song that supported my mood. after a few songs, i would have maybe 4 or 5 song at the tips of my fingers that supported my mood, so then i would try and mash a few riffs together, and improvise with a few riffs and beats. for guitaring, i listen to loads of Metallica and muse. give it try try mate.
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To Live Is To Die
Reply:373 days 17 hours 9 minutes ago
Member: Zabel Dentaro's Guitar Guide to Shred
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As for now, i got this inspirations the funny way.
I'm now working in a factory with giant machine the coz noisy sounds.
SO with a earplug on you still can hear some of the sounds.
So it happens there i will be hearing this killer drum beats and also metal riffs.
Then i'll quickly record them to my mobile phone.
When i reach home i'll listen back and start arranging from there.
Got 9 songs from those heavy machine so far.
Haha
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Reply:373 days 11 hours 42 minutes ago
Member: SATAN
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3778
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all i have to do for inspiration is wake up in the morning and look in the mirror...... i LOOK so rock and roll it makes me want to grab my guitrar!!!! actually, im lying....... i get inspiration simply by listeningto other people and listening in my head......now then.... this is a very old thread..... probably time for it to die off......
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Run for thine therapy transition meeting!!!!
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